"Germany closer to the United States, because in many ways much more dependent on the USA than from Russian Federation".

The US is opposed to the project because it will increase Europe's reliance on Russian Federation for gas supplies.

Qatar is the main LNG supplier to the European Union, while the share of US LNG has fallen from six per cent in the first quarter a year ago to one per cent this year.

"Regular maintenance is necessary to operate the Nord Stream twin pipeline safely, efficiently and reliably". She said that she has explored the issues with Ukraine which confronts the pipeline due to the influence it would provide Russian Federation over European countries. Speak against only three States - Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. A number of countries want to change the rules of construction of gas pipelines in the EU.

Russian Federation has shut off gas supplies to Ukraine in the past, having knock-on effects in the European Union.

Speaking in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said he had not heard any of his European Union counterparts talk positively about Nord Stream 2 and said Washington didn't like it because it didn't promote diversity of supply.

Unlike past United States administrations, Trump links Washington's commitment to collective transatlantic defence to his demand that the 28 allies pay more.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite sided with Trump on Wednesday after his remarks, saying that she views the project "as geopolitical, politically motivated, having no economic justification and also binding hands for some European countries to pursue a free energy policy".

Analysts see the tycoon-turned-president as embracing a transactional approach to worldwide politics rather than a strategic one against a newly assertive Russian Federation.